Starting and running an online business is appealing to a lot of stay at home moms. They are able to work from home and be there for their children when they need their mom. But having kids to look after can be a real challenge while you are trying to work on your online business. (Just ask any parent who had to do school and work during COVID)
In this article, I will give you some ideas on how you can keep your children occupied so that you can spend time on your online business. I am not including babies here. With a baby, you should be able to find time to work when they are sleeping. I know the rule of thumb is to sleep when the baby sleeps but seriously try and squeeze in a few minutes as you can.
Toddlers
It will be the most challenging for you to devote quality time to your online business if you have a toddler to take care of. At a very young age, they will want to bond with you as much as possible. So you need to be smart here so that you can find that precious time that you need.
If your budget will allow it you can hire in some help. Or you can ask other members of your family to help you to take care of your toddler so that you can work for a while. Grandparents are a good idea for this if they are willing and live nearby. If you have a partner then you can ask them to take care of the toddler when they are available.
Again if you have the finances you can send your child to daycare. This will be tough on your toddler at first but they will meet other children and do fun things while you are working. If you have siblings or friends you can trust nearby then ask them to help you if they can.
Children of Preschool Age
With preschool age children you have the advantage that they will be more independent and can be amused with a number of things that will leave you time to do your online work. You need to strike a good balance here as young kids get bored pretty easily and they are going to want your attention at some point.
So your task here is to find different things that will keep your preschool child occupied while you work on your computer. You don’t have to spend a lot of money here. Get them to make things from items you don’t use any more such as egg cartons. Kids of this age like to paint as well so get some paints and brushes and ask them to paint you a nice picture. I also put my preschool-age children on a computer or laptop next to me and use games like ABC Mouse or Reading Eggs which are progressive and will keep going. I explain that they have work and so does mommy. It tends to hold their attention well.
Children at School
When your kids are of school age there will be chunks of time that you can set aside for your online business. But you need to take into account school holidays and other times that your children may not be at school.
At this age, your children will be pretty happy to amuse themselves but they are going to demand your attention at times. Get them to do things that will enhance their learning rather than sit them down to watch TV all day. I apply some of the same preschool principles of this is mommy’s time to work and here is your work: tablet, board games to play together, workbooks, crafts that are simple, or a quick tv episode or movie.
Older Children
If you have teenagers at home then it should be pretty easy to find the time you need for your online business. Why not ask your teenager to help you around the home? While I do not have to bribe mine, she understands that this is a part of being in a family is everyone doing their part. It is still nice to reward them when they follow through.